I think the problem is that Hama never worked the timelines out. He was giving a set of characters to work with in '82 and then eventually had to fill in the back story after the fact.

Remember, Joe came out, but there was no gurantee it was going to be a huge hit, so why bother working out all this stuff in the past? Stalker was the team's top sargeant and he was an E-6 in '82.

Now Joe becomes popular and now Hama has to fill in the blanks as best he can.

Stalker was an E-5 until 89 when he and Snake-Eyes are both E-7 as well as Deep-Six on the filecards. but in 82 he was an E-5. We know he got a promotion with everyone else except SE from the original 13. But he is never referred to as a staff sgt.

I remember in the issue where they attack a terror drome on Cobra Island and Stalker gets hurt (Purple Heart anyone) Snake-Eyes tells everyone to go and he'll provide cover but Stalker says he doesn't want to leave SE behind, but Leatherneck, who outranked them both, said after Stalker, SE was in charge so they were going to follow orders.

That issue always stuck out in my mind. I then figured Stalker was probably an E-7 already before they got the promotions. Well he should have been from the start.

I remember in the issue where they attack a terror drome on Cobra Island and Stalker gets hurt (Purple Heart anyone) Snake-Eyes tells everyone to go and he'll provide cover but Stalker says he doesn't want to leave SE behind, but Leatherneck, who outranked them both, said after Stalker, SE was in charge so they were going to follow orders.

That was in Sierra Gordo rather than on Cobra Island, but I know the issues you mean - story started in #54, and the one you're talking about is #55. Good stuff.

I think that really Marvel + filecards and maybe the DDP continuation are what is official. The rest is not really part of the story. The cartoons are new adventures every week so they add nothing to the ongoing story. Extreme, Savage, Sigma 6, spy troops don't add much either. They did make us like the toys, but they can almost be disregarded as far as the ongoing story goes.

Going forward IDW is going to change much of that. And if the Movie becomes super successful that will change what we know altogether. As that would become an even greater medium for the new story which I'm sure they would tailor the comics to. Much like Star Wars. If the movie is successful then this would be what the next generation would base the story off of and Marvel would be so forgotten so fast we'll all turn in our graves.

Stalker was an E-5 until 89 when he and Snake-Eyes are both E-7 as well as Deep-Six on the filecards. but in 82 he was an E-5. We know he got a promotion with everyone else except SE from the original 13. But he is never referred to as a staff sgt.

I remember in the issue where they attack a terror drome on Cobra Island and Stalker gets hurt (Purple Heart anyone) Snake-Eyes tells everyone to go and he'll provide cover but Stalker says he doesn't want to leave SE behind, but Leatherneck, who outranked them both, said after Stalker, SE was in charge so they were going to follow orders.

That issue always stuck out in my mind. I then figured Stalker was probably an E-7 already before they got the promotions. Well he should have been from the start.

Yeah, but what I was getting at was that for whatever reason Hama started at E-5. Then Joe got popular and Hama had to go back and fill in some backstory, but when he had first did the original filecards didn't work out the actual progression of when these guys got into the service and when joined the Joe team, so didn't go back at the time of creation and really take a hard look at what the ranks would really probably end up being.

That was in Sierra Gordo rather than on Cobra Island, but I know the issues you mean - story started in #54, and the one you're talking about is #55. Good stuff.

Right I meant to erase the cobra Island part. I just couldn't remember the issue entirely. Now realistically, when SE gets captured again, he should have been shot in the head. I mean the rest of the Joes escaped and killed a bunch of Cobras, I could easily see a firing squad for Serpentor's pleasure or Mindbender killing him for the secret sauce.

Right I meant to erase the cobra Island part. I just couldn't remember the issue entirely. Now realistically, when SE gets captured again, he should have been shot in the head. I mean the rest of the Joes escaped and killed a bunch of Cobras, I could easily see a firing squad for Serpentor's pleasure or Mindbender killing him for the secret sauce.

**I love you Snake-Eyes but man you're lucky***

No kidding! By the third or fourth time he's captured, you'd think they'd just kill him outright rather than strapping him into the Brainwave Scanner AGAIN.

No kidding! By the third or fourth time he's captured, you'd think they'd just kill him outright rather than strapping him into the Brainwave Scanner AGAIN.

No shit. You know Snake-Eyes takes one look at the the Brainwave scanner and says to himself, "I beat him before. I beat him AGAIN!" then goes to his happy place and starts singing the good ship lollipop or something.

No shit. You know Snake-Eyes takes one look at the the Brainwave scanner and says to himself, "I beat him before. I beat him AGAIN!" then goes to his happy place and starts singing the good ship lollipop or something.

Yeah - eventually it's "oh, this AGAIN?" and he's off thinking about what he needs to get at the PX.

No shit. You know Snake-Eyes takes one look at the the Brainwave scanner and says to himself, "I beat him before. I beat him AGAIN!" then goes to his happy place and starts singing the good ship lollipop or something.